Winter Tawang and Sela Snow

• Bhalukpong
• 215 m
• 230 km · 5.5–6 hrs
• Dinner

Pickup at Guwahati airport by 11 am at the latest. We drive along the north bank of the Brahmaputra through Mangaldai and Balipara, past tea gardens in their winter pruning, to Bhalukpong, where the Kameng river leaves the hills. Winter days here are mild, around 22 to 24 degrees, so this is a gentle start before the cold. We cross the Arunachal check gate, where your eILP and ID are checked, and settle in by late afternoon. Our driver fits and tests the snow chains this evening and briefs you on tomorrow.

• Dirang
• 1,500 m
• 142 km · 5.5–6 hrs
• Breakfast, Dinner

Leave at 7.30 am to use the daylight. The road follows the Kameng gorge past Tipi and Tenga and climbs to Bomdila at about 2,400 m, where frost usually lingers in shaded bends until late morning. Lunch in Bomdila, then 42 km down to Dirang, arriving by about 2.30 pm. Dirang in winter is dry, sunny and cold at night, around zero. Spend the late afternoon in the hot springs by the river, which feel best in this season, and walk through Dirang Dzong's stone lanes before dark.

• Tawang
• 3,050 m
• 140 km · 6–7 hrs in snow
• Breakfast, Dinner

An 8 am start, with the driver checking the army's road update first. Above Nyukmadung the snow begins, and by Sela, at about 4,170 m, it can lie a metre or more deep. If the old road is open we stop at the pass gate and frozen Sela Lake for an hour of snow and photographs; tea at the army canteen helps. If the pass is closed, the Sela Tunnel takes you through. Beyond, stop at Jaswant Garh and at Nuranang Falls near Jang. Reach Tawang by mid-afternoon and warm up; the first night at altitude should be quiet.

• Tawang
• 3,050 m
• Local · about 25 km
• Breakfast, Dinner

Winter is the monastery's quiet season, with low sun and clear air. Arrive for morning prayers around 8 am, when young monks chant in the assembly hall, then see the gilded Buddha and the museum. If you are here in January, the monastery's three-day Torgya festival brings masked cham dances in the courtyard; dates follow the lunar calendar. After lunch visit Urgelling, the Giant Buddha and the war memorial. Tawang's market is a good place to buy yak-wool socks and caps. Nights fall to around minus 5 to minus 10 degrees.

• Tawang
• 3,050 m
• Local · up to 80 km depending on roads
• Breakfast, Dinner

A flexible day chosen by the weather. After fresh snowfall, the slopes above the Ani Gompa nunneries and Khinmey monastery turn white and make easy snow walks close to town. Indian citizens can apply for Bum La and Madhuri Lake, but in winter the road is frequently closed after snow, so treat it as a bonus and check current status before you travel. If the sky is clear, we drive to viewpoints on the Tawang ridge for the snow peaks to the north. This day also works as a buffer if Sela closed on Day 3.

• Bomdila
• 2,400 m
• 175 km · 6.5–7.5 hrs in snow
• Breakfast, Dinner

We leave at 7.30 am and climb back to Sela, your second chance at clear views and snow play at the frozen lake if the old road is open. Lunch in Dirang, then on to Bomdila, arriving before dark around 4 pm. Bomdila in winter is cold and often clear, with views of the snow ranges to the north from the monastery above town. Dinner at the hotel. Splitting the return here instead of driving to Guwahati from Dirang keeps tomorrow within daylight and within about eight to nine hours.

• Departure
• 55 m
• 290 km · 8–9 hrs
• Breakfast

An early 6 am start, with frost on the upper bends, descending through Tenga and Bhalukpong to the plains, where it is suddenly 20 degrees warmer. Lunch near Balipara or Tezpur. We reach Guwahati by about 4 pm, so please book a flight after 6.30 pm, or stay a night in the city if your flight is in the morning. Winter fog in the Brahmaputra valley can slow the last stretch and delay early flights, so keep a margin. Tezpur Airport, about 150 km from Bomdila, is another option.